Vertical sliding panel door



p 1965 H. E. ROHRMAN 3,204,691

VERTICAL SLIDING PANEL DOOR Filed March 11, 1965 5 Sheets-Sheet 1 ORNEYS Sept. 7, 1965 H. E. ROHRMAN VERTICAL SLIDING PANEL DOOR 5 Sheets-Shet 2 INVENTOR HE/V/Py E. FU/WP/M/V Filed March 11, 1963 I a z Sept. 7, 1965 H. E. ROHRMAN VERTICAL SLIDING PANEL DOOR 5 Sheets-Sheet 3 Filed March 11, 1965 Sept. 7, 1965 H. E. ROHRMAN VERTICAL SLIDING PANEL DOOR 5 Sheets-Sheet 41 Filed March 11, 1963 INVENTOR HEX 1?) E. ROHPM/l/V P 1965 H. E. ROHRMAN 3,204,691

VERTICAL SLIDING PANEL DOOR,

Filed March 11, 1965 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 United States Patent 3,204,691 VERTICAL SLIDING PANEL DQOR Henry E. Rohrman, 1253 Imperial Road, Rydal, Pa. Filed Mar. 11, 1%3, Ser. 'No. 264,123 3 Claims. (CL 160-202) The present invention relates to vertical lift doors and more particularly to vertical lift doors having panels riding on shafts.

A purpose of the invention is to provide a more trouble free vertical lift door.

A further purpose of the invention is to provide a more simple, inexpensive and easily manufactured vertical lift door.

A further purpose is to construct a vertical lift door of fabricated sheet metal components and rods.

A further purpose is to guide the vertically moving panels by means of stationary guide shafts mounted in end guide sections.

A further purpose is to individually guide and support each individual panel from the end guide shafts.

A further purpose is to dissipate torque in a stacked panel group by a more flexible guide arrangement.

A further purpose is to positively lock the individual panels to the guide shafts.

A further purpose is to provide increased wind resistance by means of a positive interlocking of the panel to the guide via the guide shafts.

A further purpose is to provide an offset in the panel flanges in order to yield a stiffer panel section and a more uniform stacking arrangement.

A further purpose is to make the panels more rigid by placing corrugations or figures either by stamping or rolling into or roll forming into the panel sections so that you in effect get a rigid sheet.

A further purpose is to stiffen long span doors by increasing the width of the flange.

A further purpose is to use the door frame as a structural support of the building.

A further purpose is to provide guide frames having guide shafts supported at one end by triangular shaped stops.

A further purpose is to utilize a stiffener or insert on long span doors.

A further purpose is to provide a vertical lift door which can simply and inexpensively be inserted into an existing structure either as a new component or as a replacement for an old door.

Further purposes appear in the specification and'in the claims.

In the drawings I have chosen to illustrate a few only of the numerous embodiments inwhich my invention may appear, selecting the forms shown from the standpoints of convenience in illustration, satisfactory operation and clear demonstration of the'principles involved.

FIGURE 1 is an elevational view of theback of the door of the invention.

FIGURE .2 is an enlarged vertical section taken on the line .22 of FIGURE 1.

FIGURE 3 is a greatly enlarged fragmentary section taken on the line 3--3 of FIGURE 2.

FIGURE 4 is a fragmentary section taken on the line 4-4 of FIGURE 3.

FIGURE 5 is an enlarged section taken on the line 5-5 of FIGURE '1.

. FIGURE 6 is an exploded perspective view of some of the elements of the invention.

FIGURE 7 is a fragmentary perspective View of some of the elements of the invention.

FIGURE 8 is a fragmentary view similar to FIGURE 2 showing the condition when thepanels are partially raised to open the door.

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FIGURE 9 is a fragmentary sectional view of the top area of the door showing thepanels in a nested position.

FIGURE 10 is a perspective view of an intermediate panel.

FIGURE 11 is a modified panel in section showing the reinforcing strips.

Describing in illustration but not in limitation and referring to the drawings:

In the prior art, vertical lift doors with nesting panels have been used, particularly as garage doors. In this form of door, individual panels extend horizontallyacross the door opening and are stacked or nested as the door is opened, so that a stack or nest is formed at the top of the door opening. In one form of prior art door, each panel has been individually suspended by counterweight mechanisms and this has resulted in an extremely bulky and expensive door.

In other prior art embodiments, the panels have been guilded at the sides of the door opening by flat guides which engage in slots in the panel flanges. Structures of this sort are expensive to'build and'to maintain and inoperation were found to be extremely troublesome because the slots would jam in the flat guides. Furthermore, the nest of panels formed at the top of an open door created a force couple which tended to bend the flat guides and cause troublesome operation and maintenance.

The present invention utilizes rods and bearing surfaces within the panels to provide a troublefree and extremely simple guide arrangement. This results .in a smoothly operating door which needs very little tolerance in the bearing .and guide arrangement, and therefore a much more weather tight door is obtained.

Considering the form shown in the drawings, the door consists essentially of panels 20 and a support framell for guiding the panels. The support frame 21 is composed of two vertically extending end guide frames 22 and 23, and, optionally, a header. Theheader isincluded where the frame is used as a structural support for a door opening, but the header may be eliminated where the door opening is self-supporting, in which case the end guide frames 22 and 23 are merely secured to the sides of the opening.

Considering the end guide frame 22 as best shown in FIGURES 2 to 4 and 6, a flat sheet is formed intoa structure having a web 25 which extends vertically for the height of the door opening. Thisweb26 is disposed transversely to the plane of the door. The web 26 has a transversely disposed front flange27 and a transversely disposed back flange 28. The front flange 27 extends in a plane parallel to the plane of the door opening while the back flange 28 is desirably inclined at an angle but which may be vertical.

The end guide frame22 has a top flange 30 which is disposed perpendicularly to the web 26 and is preferably secured to the front flange 27 and the back flange 28 at 31 and 32 respectively as by welding or the like. Abottom flange 33 is disposed perpendicularly to web-=26 and is suitably welded to the front flange-27 and the back flange 28 at 34- and 35 respectively as by welding. In the preferred embodiment, the width of the flanges 27, 2&3, 30 and 33 will be uniform.

The top flange 30 has a seriesof spaced holes 36extending in a line longitudinally along the flange. The front flange 27 has a series of notches 37 adapted to receive tabs 40, as later explained, and holes 38.

A series of panel stops 41 suitably of generally triangular form are disposed along the front flange 27. The panel stops 41 as best seenin FIGURE 6'areformed of a sheet of metal with a first face 42, a second face 43 disposed at right angles to the face 42, and anend face 44. The angle 45 between the face 43 and the edge 46 3 will conform to the angle formed by the web of the panels with the general plane of the door as later explained.

The end face 44 has an opening 47 which has gradually inwardy directed walls 48 as best seen in FIGURE 4.

The panel stops 41 have openings 50 which permit the insertion of a fastener 51 such as a screw to be inserted through the face 43 and through opening 38 in front flange 27 so that the end guide frame 22 may be securely held to the end Wall 24 of the door opening.

The panel stops 41 are secured to the end guide frame 22 by inserting tabs 40 through corresponding notches 37 and then bending the tabs against the front flange 27 as seen at 52 in FIGURE 4. The panel stops are spaced in abutting relationship along the front flange so that a series of step-like supports are created at the end guides.

The panel stops 41 are placed completely along the front flange with the exception of a space at the topmost position, into which space the top flat panel is fitted as will be explained later.

Shafts 53 of varying lengths are positioned in the end guide frame 22 so that these shafts extend in parallel relationship in a plane normal to the plane of the door opening and parallel to the web 26 of the end guide frame 22. The shafts 53 are of varying lengths with the shortest shaft 54 disposed at the forwardmost position in the end guide frame 22 and the longest shaft 55 disposed at the rearwardmost position in the end guide frame 22.

The shafts are composed of a head portion 56 and a shaft portion 57 as best seen in FIGURE 7. The shaft portion is inserted through the holes 36 on the top flange and extend respectively into holes 47 of the panel stops 41. The shafts are held in position in the end guide frame 22 and the stop 41 by the friction of the fit between the shaft portion 57 and the openings 36 in the frame and the openings 47 in the panel stop, as well as by gravity. The shaft diameters are desirably of a size to give rigidity to the shafts to enable the shafts to support the vertically sliding panels as will later be explained.

The end guide frame 23 is a mirror image of the end guide frame 22 described above.

Where desirable, a header portion, not shown, may be extended from the top flanges 31 of the end guide frames 22 and 23 so that an inverted U structure is created which is inserted in the door opening and which provides a structural support for the walls above and to the side of the door opening.

The panels of the door are of three general types; a top panel 60, intermediate panels 61 and a bottom panel 62. The panels extend transversely and horizontally between the end guide frames 22 and 23 of the door opening and may be of various lengths, such as from 6 to feet in a normal garage opening but which may permissibily extend to feet or more in special commercial embodiments. The vertical height of the panel is arbitrarily selected but should be of a sufficient height to give rigidity to the panel and also to avoid an undue number of panels. However, the smaller the vertical dimension of the panel, the less the head room necessary for nesting the panels when the door is opened.

As best seen in FIGURES 6 and 7, the top panel 60 has suitably a web 64, a flange 65 transversely disposed to web 64, and a bottom flange 66 which is disposed in a plane normal to the plane of the guide shaft 54. The top panel 60 is intended to be stationary and to be secured to the end guide frames 22 and 23 as by welding or by fasteners at 67.

The top flange 65 has a hole 68 which permits guide shaft 54 to pass therethrough and seat in panel stop 41 at 70.

The intermediate panels 61 have a web portion 71, a bottom back flange 72, a front top flange 73 and a back top flange 74. The flanges 72, 73 and 74 may permis sibly be formed integral with the web 71 as by bending and this embodiment is shown in the drawings, but it should be understood that the flanges 72, 73 and 74 may 4- be formed of separate strips and secured to the web 71 by welding or the like.

The bottom flange 72 is disposed transversely to the web '71 by bending as at 75. The front top flange 73 is formed by bending at 76 and then reverse bending at 77 so that the flange extends perpendicular or transversely to the web 71. The back top flange 74 is formed by extending the reverse bend of flange 71 rearwardly on the panel. In one embodiment, the top back flange is offset as at 78 for reasons later explained. However, the back top flange 74 may be formed as a straight extension of the front top flange.

The front top flange 73 has at both ends a slotted hole 80 having its longitudinal axis extending along the length of the flange 73. The hole 80 receives one of the shafts 53. The flange 74 is cut out at 81 to avoid interference with the operation of the next lower and rearward panel of the door.

The bottommost panel conforms generally to the intermediate panels except that the door operating cable attaching means as well as door braking and locking means are attached to this panel. These means do not form part of the present invention and are not shown herewith.

All the panels except bottom panel 62 have guide rods as best seen in FIGURES 1 and 5 disposed along the back of the door in a vertical relationship. The guide rods have a head portion 91 and a shaft or rod portion 92, with threads 93 on the rod portion 92 adapted to receive threaded nut 94. The rods 90 extend through a hole 95 in top flange 73 and through hole 96 in bottom flange 72. The rods 90 are individualy secured to the panels through the holes 95 and 96 in the flanges and move with the panels. The top front flanges 73 have openings 97 which act as bearing surfaces and ride on the guide rod 90 of the next upper and forward panel. The guide rods 90 serve to slidably connect the panels together.

It should be understood that the flanges, in addition to providing interlocks between the panels as well as bearing surfaces for journalling the rods, also serve to impart rigidity to the panels. Where the panel is extremely long so that it is desirable to provide further rigidity to the panel in addition to that imparted by the flanges, inserts as best seen in FIGURES 10 and 11 are added. The inserts can permissibly be in the form of a flat strip 100 which is welded or otherwise fastened to the bottom flange of the panel. An offset reinforcement 101 having a forward edge 102 and offset portion 103 and a backwardly extending portion 104 can be secured to the panel as by bending top flange 73 so that a forwardly extending portion 105 and a rearwardly extending portion 106 wraps around front portion 102 of the reinforcement. The reinforcement 101 may be secured to the panel as by welding. It should be understood, of course, that the reinforcements would have the bearing holes, guide rod holes and cut out portions existing in the flanges as described above.

Where necessary, the panels may further be made more rigid by placing corrugations or figures, either by stamping or roll forming in the webs of the panels. The configuration could, for instance, be a series of horizontal placed to achieve a pleasing esthetic effect when viewing the garage door.

In assembling the door structure of the invention, end guide frames 22 and 23 are disposed vertically in a. suitable form. The corrugations could also desirably be: spaced relationship to constitute the door opening- Where the frame 21 is to be used as a structural support: for the surrounding wall, a header is horizontally positioned at the top of the end guide frames 22 and 23 and secured to the frames as by welding or bolting. In an alternative method of assembly, a header may be preassembled to the end guides frames an igthe entire; ni

22 and 23 are to the rear of the wall 29 but in an i alternative arrangementthe frames may be bolted tothe wall opening by fasteners extending through the webs 26 of the end guide frames 22 and.23.

The end guide frames 22 and '23 have the stops 41 already in place as described above. Although the stops as described above are separate from the frame, it should be understood that the panel stops may permissibly be an integral part of the frame, formed as by stamping or the like.

A top panel 60 is then positioned horizontally between the end guide frames 22 and 23 and secured in place at the uppermost position of the frame. The top flange 65, web 64 and bottom flange 66 of the top panel 60 extend within each of the end guide frames and the panel is secured thereto as by welding or bolting. The forwardmost guide shaft 54 is inserted through the frontmost hole 36 in the top flange 30 of the end guide frames 22 and 23 through hole 68 in the top flange 65 of the top panel 60.

An intermediate panel 61 is then positioned on the topmost panel stop and also on bottom flange 66 of top panel 60. In this position, the web 71 of the topmost intermediate panel 61 rests against the panel stop face 43 and the front top flange 73 of the topmost intermediate panel rests on the lower flange 66 of the top panel 61. The guide shaft 54 is then inserted through the forwardmost of the holes 36, through hole 68, an opening in bottom flange 66, and into opening 47 of the topmost panel stop 41.

Each subsequent panel is then assembled into position so that the top forward flange 73 of an intermediate panel 61 rests on the back lower flange 72 of the next upper intermediate panel 61 with a guide shaft extending through the openings 80 and 69 in an adjoining pair of front top and bottom back flanges.

A suflicient number of panels 61 along with panel 60 and panel 62 are used to fully cover the vertical height of the door opening. The vertical dimension of the door opening and height of each panel are so chosen that an integral number of panels of equal height are inserted in the door opening.

A bottom panel 62 which is dimensionally of the same horizontal length and height as the intermediate panels 61 above is connected to the lowermost intermediate panel 61 in the same manner as the intermediate panels are connected to one another. In this connection, the top forward flange 73 rests on the back lower flange 72 of the lowermost intermediate panel 61 and the top rearward flange extends free of any other panel connection.

When the panels are so assembled into the end frames, a weather tight door is created. A very tight fit is obtained at the junction of the panels and the frames, since the web of the panel lies in contact with the face 43 of stop 41, and the bottom back flange 72 lies in contact with face 44.

In the operation of the door, bottom panel 67 is lifted by lifting means such as cables which are attached to the flanges of the panel and which can extend over a network of pulleys to a prime mover or to a hand operated lift mechanism. The lift mechanism forms no part of the present invention.

As the bottom panel 62 rides upward unde the influence of the upwardly directed force, the top front flange 73 will engage the back top flange 74 of the next upper intermediate panel 61. This is shown, for instance, in FIGURE 8 where the second bottommost panel 61' has been lifted to' engage the third bottommost panel 61 which has now. been moved approximately half way up the fourth bottommost pan-e1 61. By means of these successive intcre'ngagements of the top front flange 73 with the back top flange 74. of the next uppermost panel, entire group of intermediate panels 61 as well as the bottom panel 162 is lifted to an extreme upward position as best seen in "FIGURE 9. In this position it will be seen that each individual panel although being supported vertically on the next rearwardly directed ,panel is hearing on the guide. shafts 53 so that the shafts act as a deterrent against the torque action or couple action created by the nested panels.

The midsections of the panels are slidably connected to one another as shown in FIGURE 5 by the rods which are fixed between the back top flange 74 and bottom back flange 72. An opening in the front top flange 73 rides along the rod 90 so that each panel 61 and 62 is supported against transverse buckling by a vertically sliding engagement with the next uppermost panel.

The door is closed by controllably releasing the upper force on the bottom pan-e1 62 and allowing it to be lowered along the guide shafts 53. By this means each of the more forwardly positioned panels slide downward until they engage panel stops 41 which are mounted in the end guide frames 22 and 23. The result is that each panel has been brought to a stop along the end guide frames at an intermediate position along the end guide frames so that a complete coverage of the door opening is achieved.

In view of my invention and disclosure, variations and modifications to meet individual whim or particular need will doubtless become evident to others skilled in the art, to obtain all o part of the benefits of my invention without copying the structure shown, and I, therefore, claim all such insofar as they fall within the reasonable spirit and scope of my claims.

Having thus described my invention what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. In a vertically liftable door:

a support frame including two opposed vertically extending end guide frames, each of said end guide frames having a web extending vertically for the height of the door opening and disposed transversely to the plane of the door, a front flange extending transversely from the web, and a top shaft support extending from the top of the web;

triangular panel stops spaced vertically along and secured to the front flange to form a series of step-like supports in the end guides, said stops having a first side in abutment with and secured to the front flange, a second side opposite the first side and obliquely disposed to the front flange, and a top side exending from the first side to the second side;

parallel inclined shafts extending generally at a slight incline. from the vertical within each of the end guide frames, each of the shafts being supported at the upper end in the end guide top shaft support and at the lowe end in the top side of a panel stop;

and a plurality of panels extending horizontally between the end guide frames, each of the panels having a web portion, a rear bottom flange, a front top flange, and a rear top flange, each of the panels having at each end thereof a bearing in one of the top flanges and in the bottom flange, each of said bearings being journalled on one of said shafts;

wherein each of the panels can slide generally vertically on opposed shafts and can in one extreme or topmost position be stacked adjacent the top of the guide frames and in closing position extend in a generally extended relationship to one another, wherein in the topmost position the top front flange of one panel engages and supports the top rear flange of an adjacent panel and in closing position the Web of each of the panels abuts against the second face of the panel stop and the top front flange of one panel abuts the bottom rear flange of an adjacent panel, thereby forming a Weather tight seal.

2. A door of claim 1, wherein each of the panels includes guide rods positioned intermediate the ends of the panel, said rods extending between and secured to the top rear flange and bottom rear flange of one panel and engaging a slot in the top front flange of an adjacent panel.

3. A door of claim 1, wherein each of the panels has an insert engaging the top front flange and extending from the top front flange to form the top rear flange.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS Boekelrnann 160-402 Fish 160-202 Hobson 160184 Burkart 160-193 Alderson 160193 Rohrman 160-202 Sparkes 160-103 HARRISON R. MOSELEY, Primary Examiner. 

1. IN A VERTICALLY LIFTABLE DOOR: A SUPPORT FRAME INCLUDING TWO OPPOSED VERTICALLY EXTENDING END GUIDE FRAMES, EACH OF SAID END GUIDE FRAMES HAVING A WEB EXTENDING VERTICALLY FOR THE HEIGHT OF THE DOOR OPENING AND DISPOSED TRANSVERSELY TO THE PLANE OF THE DOOR, A FRONT FLANGE EXTENDING TRANSVERSELY FROM THE WEB, AND A TOP SHAFT SUPPORT EXTENDING FROM THE TOP OF THE WEB; TRIANGULAR PANEL STOPS SPACED VERTICALLY ALONG AND SECURED TO THE FRONT FLANGE TO FORM A SERIES OF STEP-LIKE SUPPORTS IN THE END GUIDES, SAID STOPS HAVING A FIRST SIDE IN ABUTMENT WITH AND SECURED TO THE FRONT FLANGE, A SECON D SIDE OPPOSITE THE FIRST SIDE AND OBLIQUELY DISPOSED TO THE FRONT FLANGE, AND A TOP PARALLEL INCLINED SHAFTS EXTENDING GENERALLY AT A SLIGHT INCLINE FROM THE VERTICAL WITHIN EACH OF THE END INCLINE FROM THE VERTICAL WITHIN EACH OF THE END GUIDE FRAMES, EACH OF THE SHAFTS BEING SUPPORTED AT THE UPPER END IN THE END GUIDE TOP SHAFT SUPPORT AND AT THE LOWER END IN THE TOP SIDE OF A PANEL STOP; AND A PLURALITY OF PANELS EXTENDING HORIZONTALLY BETWEEN THE END GUIDE FRAMES, EACH OF THE PANELS HAVING A WEB PORTION, A REAR BOTTOM FLANGE, A FRONT TOP FLANGE, AND A REAR TOP FLANGE, EACH OF THE PANELS HAVING AT EACH END THEREOF A BEARING IN ONE OF THE TOP FLANGES AND IN THE BOTTOM FLANGE, EACH OF SAID BEARINGS BEING JOURNALLED ON ONE OF SAID SHAFTS; WHEREIN EACH OF THE PANELS CAN SLIDE GENERALLY VERTICALLY ON OPPOSED SHAFTS AND CAN IN ONE EXTREME OR TOPMOST POSITION BE STACKED ADJACENT THE TOP OF THE GUIDE FRAMES AND IN CLOSING POSITION EXTEND IN A GENERALLY EXTENDED RELATIONSHIP TO ONE ANOTHER WHEREIN IN THE TOPMOST POSITION THE TOP FRONT FLANGE OF ONE PANEL ENGAGES AND SUPPORTS THE TOP REAR FLANGE OF AN ADJACENT PANEL AND IN CLOSING POSITION THE WEB OF EACH OF THE PANEL ABUTS AGAINST THE SECOND FACE OF THE PANEL STOP AND THE TOP FRONT FLANGE OF ONE PANEL ABUTS THE BOTTOM REAR FLANGE OF AN ADJACENT PANEL ABUTS THE BOTTOM REAR FLANGE OF SEAL. 